Welsh Liberal Democrats Councillor for Cwmbwrla Ward, City and County of Swansea - Visit my main website at www.peterblack.wales

Sunday, April 28, 2013

UKIP in policy turmoil

Following on from yesterday's post about the idiosyncrasies of various UKIP candidates, the Guardian underlines one of the reasons why those representing the party have such diverse views. It seems that UKIP cannot get agreement on a policy platform to present to the electorate.

The paper says that a series of leaked emails between key figures in Ukip reveals growing chaos at the heart of the party. They add that in one email, a senior party figure claims that leading the anti-EU party is like "herding cats". Ukip leader Nigel Farage is warned that his party is facing a decade without credible policies, as crippling internal rows rage, and it is suggested that the party should consider buying off-the-shelf strategy from right-leaning think tanks:

Details of the party's internal crisis are revealed today as Ukip prepares to field an unprecedented 1,217 candidates in Thursday's local elections. The party is unlikely to return large numbers of councillors but Downing Street fears it will deprive the Tories of victory in many seats and be the cause of major trouble for David Cameron's leadership.Along with its strong anti-European Union message and calls for a hardline on immigration, Ukip is campaigning heavily on issues likely to appeal to wavering Tories, including opposition to green belt development, wind farms and a second high-speed rail line. However, the party's manifesto is vague on details as it attempts to appeal to the broadest audience, including disaffected Labour and Liberal Democrat voters.The emails leaked to the Observer illustrate how powerless the party is to build a manifesto as it attempts to please its politically divergent support. Bloom says the party's policies are "naturally coming under more scrutiny" as it grows, but warns Farage of the inability of members to agree on policy lines.Bloom, who also complains that whatever the party says on tax and the economy will "be sneered at or decried", writes: "The charm and frustration of Ukip is we have doctors who fancy themselves as tax experts, painters and decorators who know all about strategic defence issues and … retired dentists who understand the most intricate political solutions for the nation."Our website will have no policies at all on there for 10 years if we adopt a neo-Byzantine approach to formulating them. This means some quite senior members are going to have to stable their hobby-horses."

If UKIP are to establish themselves as anything more than a party of protest then this is an issue they need to address.

The thing is that Ukip were just as muddled over policy at Eastleigh and under far more intense media scrutiny. Yet they dumped the Conservatives into third place and pressed Liberal Democrats hard. Does this not signify that voters are generally unconcerned with a lack of detailed policy - especially as those policies become expendable once office has been obtained.

"....The party is unlikely to return large numbers of councillors but Downing Street fears it will deprive the Tories of victory in many seats and be the cause of major trouble for David Cameron's leadership...."

Well, the tories should have been in favour of STV then shouldn't they?

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